Feels Like A Change Is Gonna Come
by VanInBlack
Summary: Rossi and JJ meet again three months after JJ's leave from the team. Written for the CM Christmas Fic Exchange Challenge.
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me...**_

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_**A/N: This is my contribution for the Christmas Fic Gift Exchange, written for **_**hxchick. **

_**Her prompts were "Carol of the Bells", snow, Christmas dinner, a roaring fire in a fireplace, the pairing is JJ/Rossi. **_

_**Please note that for the purpose of this story, I've aged Henry about a year so that he's three years old in it. **_

_**The story is seven chapters and I will post all of them until the 25th. **_

_**I hope you'll enjoy and have fun reading it! **_

_**Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a Happy New Year!**_

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**Feels Like A Change Is Gonna Come**

Chapter 1

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Whoever invented Christmas shopping must have been out of their minds, David Rossi thought annoyed as he made his way through the crowded mall. People everywhere, old and young, short and tall, laughing, yelling, pushing, combined with various kinds of Christmas songs playing in each store that together with all kinds of silly decorations were supposed to spread the Christmas spirit – it was almost too much for him.

And it seemed to get worse every year. And every year David Rossi vowed to have his Christmas shopping done before Thanksgiving, but his job made him break his vows to himself again and again. Next year he was going to listen to Garcia and order all of his gifts online. Two days before Christmas, unfortunately, it was too late for that.

Three hours later he had found and bought a necklace and a pair of earrings for his mother, some fine cigars and a bottle of bourbon for his father, along with presents for every member on his team.

Clutching the bags, he found a free space on a bench and sat down to take a breath. There was only one person left he needed to find a gift for, and that was JJ.

And now he was sitting there, debating with himself if he should actually get her something, now that she wasn't on the team anymore.

It wasn't that he didn't like JJ. Quite the opposite actually. The young, blonde woman had captured his heart form the first moment he laid eyes on her, and there wasn't anything he wouldn't do for her. But she wasn't his. She belonged to another man with whom she had an adorable son, and the last thing he wanted was to overstep any boundaries by showing up at their doorstep with present for her. Especially since they had never been more than coworkers. Sure, the team had always been a tight-knit group, and he and JJ deeply respected each other, but at the end of the day, when work was done, everybody went home to their respective lives. That didn't change the fact that he dreamed about her almost every night, and that he missed her dearly on the job, missed seeing her bright and shining blue eyes and her beautiful smile.

He hadn't seen her for three months, not since her last day at the BAU, despite the mutual assurances to stay in touch. The most important reason for that was their job. Or rather his job, as he knew that JJ's work hours had actually changed to being described as reasonable. The team's schedule however was as packed and bustling as ever, and having lost one member had significantly expanded everyone else's work load.

Garcia and Reid were probably the only ones who kept in contact with JJ on a more regular basis, due to the fact that they were Henry's godparents, but even they didn't tell the rest of them as much about her and how she was doing as they did in the first few weeks after her leave.

Dave had tried to call her twice to say hello. The first time he'd had Will on the phone as JJ hadn't been home, and hearing the slight annoyance in the younger man's voice, he felt like he had invaded somewhere he didn't belong. The second time, JJ had sounded quite surprised to hear from him, pleasantly so, if he was asked, but she didn't have time to talk for long, because she'd had a doctor's appointment with Henry. They'd both agreed to hear from each other and JJ had promised to call him once she wouldn't be too busy, but the call never came. And Dave had realized that maybe it was true what they said: Out of sight, out of mind.

Not for him, though. She still found her way into his thoughts every time he was alone with enough time to think at hand. So much so that his parents had already caught up on it. A month back, at Thanksgiving, his mother had made him his favorite chocolate cake, which was something she usually reserved for his birthday. And after that, she and his father had shown up at his house every weekend he was home, just to make sure he was alright.

"I will at least send her a Christmas card," he concluded his contemplation. The weird look on the elderly woman sitting next to him told him that he had just said that out loud.

Ignoring her, he got up again, checking that he still had all of his bags with him and headed for the next exit.

~.~.~

He was almost by the elevators, when he saw a blond toddler emerging from them, running in his direction, and somehow the boy looked quite familiar to him. Wasn't it...?

The voice that promptly yelled after the boy confirmed his suspicions at once.

"Henry Jareau! I said stop!"

Dave broke into a huge grin as he saw JJ running out of the elevator and after her son, who didn't bother listening to his mother. Quickly bending down before young Henry could run past him, he dropped his bags and caught him.

Caught by surprise, Henry let out an ear-piercing scream and began to struggle instantly, hitting Dave in the stomach with one of his feet. Dave made a mental note to tell JJ to let Henry play soccer one day. For his three years, he certainly had one hell of a kick.

"Hey buddy, what are you doing, running away from your Mom?"

Hearing the vaguely familiar voice, the little boy went still and looked up to Dave. "Mr. Wossi?" He asked carefully.

"Yes, buddy, it's me," Dave confirmed, smiling at him. He was a bit surprised that Henry remembered him. If it was three months since he'd last seen JJ, it was double the time since he'd seen Henry.

In the meantime, JJ had caught up with them.

"Lost something? Or someone?" He grinned at her, but his amusement made place for a deep frown as soon as he had taken a good look at her.

She had dark circles under her eyes, which looked tired and had lost their shining sparkle that he loved so much, and it seemed as if she had lost some weight as well.

"Rossi!" JJ exclaimed. "That's a surprise!"

"I would say so! How are you?"

JJ didn't get a chance to answer Dave's question, because Henry began to draw their attention to him once more.

"Mommy, Santa! I wanna go see Santa!" He announced impatiently.

"Henry, you've already been to Santa twice this year," JJ tried to argue with her son.

"But Mommy, I need to see him again!" Henry cried, struggling even more on Dave's arm.

"Fine, we'll go see him again. But Mommy needs to buy a few things first," JJ gave in, quite obviously too tired for a longer discussion.

Dave watched the exchange between them closely.

Henry's excitement for Santa Claus wasn't unusual for a kid his age, but the fact that his normally calm and collected mother seemed to be on the verge of a breakdown made him frown even more. He needed to find out what was going on.

"Hey, why don't I take Henry to Santa Claus, and you can go and run your errands?" He offered.

"Yay, Santa!" Henry squealed. He was instantly in on the plan.

"Are you sure?" JJ asked hesitantly.

"Of course. I wouldn't have offered if I wasn't. Henry and I will have a lot of fun with Santa. Isn't that right, Henry?"

The little boy nodded eagerly. "Let's go, Mr. Wossi!"

"Fine," JJ agreed, looking quite relieved that she could get a few minutes to herself.

"How 'bout we meet upstairs at Starbucks later when we're done?" Dave suggested.

"Sounds good." JJ gave him a slight smile for the first time since they'd run into each other.

"Alright, Henry, you're going to listen to Mr. Rossi, okay?"

" 'kay Mommy."

"Fine." She turned back to Dave. "I was going to bring his stroller, but then he'd thrown such a tantrum that I decided to go without, or otherwise we'd never have made it here."

"It's okay, JJ, I promise to never let go of his hand. And if he tries to escape I can still carry him."

"You sure you don't mind? I can take your bags if you want to."

"Of course I don't. Henry and I are bringing them back to my car before we go to Santa." He winked at Henry, who started to object.

"But-"

"What did I just say Henry?" JJ promptly interrupted him.

"I'm gonna listen to Mr. Wossi."

"That's right. Now give me a kiss." She bent over and he smooched a wet peck on her cheek.

"See you later. Bye. And thank you, Rossi."

"You're welcome, JJ. See you later."

"Bye Mommy."


	2. Chapter 2

**Feels Like A Change Is Gonna Come**

Chapter 2

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After they had dropped off Dave's bags in his car, Dave and Henry went back into the mall and headed straight for Santa Claus.

Getting in line, Dave realized that it'll probably take quite a while until it was Henry's turn to sit on Santa's lap.

"So, Henry, why do you want to see Santa again?" He asked the boy.

"'Cause, Mommy said, he'd 'fill my wish."

"That's right, Henry, but haven't you already told him what you want for Christmas?"

"Yeah, but I need to tell him again, so he don't forget! It's weally 'mportant!" Henry insisted.

Dave smiled at the determination in his voice, and at the same time wondered what was going on in their lives that would make Henry so desperately wanting to have his wish fulfilled.

Maybe he could find out something if he asked the little man.

"And what is it you're wishing for, Henry?"

Henry's clear blue eyes looked at him, and he could see that the boy wasn't sure if it was okay to tell him.

"You know, I could help Santa with your wish if you tell me. I'm really good at helping him with all the really important wishes," Dave tried to convince him.

Biting his lip, Henry thought for another moment and then blurted out: "He gots to bring me a new Daddy."

Dave's eyes widened in surprise.

"But don't you have a Daddy already?" He asked, barely able to contain is curiosity.

Henry's eyes darkened and he shook his head, looking down on the floor. "He said he don't want to be my Daddy no more."

Dave's teeth clenched together as the anger began to boil in his stomach. That stupid little prick! Now he understood why JJ looked like hell. He would no hesitate and kill LaMontagne should he ever get a hold on him.

"Can you help Santa with that?" Henry wanted to know. "And can you help Santa bring me a Grandma, too?"

"You don't have a Grandma?" Dave was surprised again. JJ had always told them how happy her mother was when she could watch Henry.

The little boy shook his head again.

"Mommy said she's up'n heaven now. And that she can't come back t'me, but watches me from there. But it's not right, because it makes Mommy sad."

The desperate tone in Henry's voice sounded so urgent that Dave had to close his eyes for a second and take a deep breath, almost overwhelmed by what he had just heard.

"Can you?" Henry asked again.

"These are two very big wishes, Henry," Dave started carefully. He didn't want to hurt him even more by telling him that it's pretty difficult to get his wishes fulfilled, especially in such a short amount of time, but he also didn't want to get Henry's hopes up, because in the end that would disappoint him even more.

Henry's expectant face tore at his heart and he thought hard to come up with something to tell him. It was Henry's turn with Santa before he had to find the right answer.

Watching the boy telling the man in the red suit about his wishes, Dave suddenly had an idea. A rather brilliant one, if he might say so, one that would give the kid at least one of his wishes, plus the chance that if he worked his cards right, the other one might eventually come true as well.

He had long since given up believing in miracles, but what if this was it? What if he was the key to bring Henry what he so desperately wished for? What if Santa had already worked his magic and bumping into JJ and Henry today hadn't been a coincidence?

He could at least try, couldn't he? And maybe then there was a happily ever after for him as well.

Henry stormed back to him and pulled him out of his thoughts.

Picking the boy up, he held him close to his chest as he slowly walked away from the crowd.

"Santa told me you can help!" Henry said excitedly.


	3. Chapter 3

**Feels Like A Change Is Gonna Come **

Chapter 3

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After they had met with JJ again, and after Dave had invited her for a coffee and Henry for some hot chocolate, they headed out.

As soon as they stepped of the mall and into the parking lot, Henry's eyes lit up when he saw that it had begun to snow. The cars were already covered in a few centimeters of white, and judging from what was still falling down, it wasn't going to stop anytime soon.

Dave walked JJ and Henry over to her car and helped her clear the windows while Henry jumped up and down with delight, throwing the snow in the air and trying to catch snowflakes with his tongue.

"Thank you for helping me out today, Rossi," JJ said when they were done, and after she'd helped Henry into his car seat.

"It was my pleasure, JJ," Dave answered simply. "I had a wonderful time with Henry."

"Yeah, he likes you very much. You've made quite an impression on him the last time I'd brought him with me to the BAU. He talks a lot about you," JJ blurted out, and then blushed and looked away as if she'd said too much.

Hearing JJ's words, a warm feeling rushed through Dave's body, and he realized even more that somehow, this chance meeting today was meant to be.

"I like him, too. He's absolutely wonderful."

There was a short moment of silence between them in which neither exactly knew what to say.

"Listen, JJ," Dave spoke first after a few seconds, choosing his words carefully as he didn't want to spook her away. "I was wondering if you and Henry would like to come over for dinner tonight. I could cook something and we could, you know, catch up on what's been going on."

They looked at each other and Dave could see it in JJ's eyes that she knew what he was implying in his words.

"What did Henry tell you?" She whispered.

"Enough to give me an impression, but not enough to know what's really going on with you," he answered softly.

"I haven't really told anybody-" JJ began but stopped mid-sentence.

"You can talk to me if you want to," Dave offered.

"I don't want to be a burden-"

"You're not," Dave interrupted her gently but firmly. "Please, let me help you, JJ. You and Henry."

Nodding slowly, JJ said, as if she didn't know what else to say: "I should go now, before the car's covered in snow again."

Realizing that the parking lot of DC's biggest shopping mall wasn't the right place for a serious talk, Dave asked once more: "Will you come over tonight?"

She looked at him, still undecided.

"Please?" He added, and took her hand, rubbing it gently between his warm palms.

"Okay," she finally conceded.

Dave opened the door for her to get in the car.

"I'll see you later then. Seven okay for you?"

She nodded again. "That's fine."

"Great! I'll look forward to it."

Her slight smile told him that she was, too.

"Drive carefully."

He closed the door and watched until her car disappeared before he drove home as well.

~.~.~

It was almost 7.30 when Dave finally heard a knock on his door.

He blew out a relieved breath and realized just then that he'd been pacing around nervously for the last twenty minutes, especially since he'd called her phone and had only reached her voice mail.

When he'd noticed the snow falling heavier, with no sign of stopping anytime soon, he had called her and suggested that he come over and bring some take-out so that she didn't have to drive through that weather, but she'd insisted that it was fine. And he'd almost gone crazy worrying when 7, and then 7.15 had passed and she hadn't shown up.

Jerking the door open, he immediately broke into a wide, welcoming smile upon seeing her and Henry on his doorstep, both safe and sound.

"I'm so sorry I'm late, Rossi," JJ started to apologize right away.

"It's okay. You're here now," Dave answered as calmly as possible. He didn't want to let on how much he'd worried for her. "Come in!"

"Mr. Wossi!" Henry exclaimed excitedly, and Dave picked him up at once.

"Hey, buddy," he greeted him. "Have you been good for your Mama?"

"Don't remind me," JJ laughed. "While I was in the shower, he went into the kitchen and opened the bottle of maple syrup I forgot putting away after breakfast this morning. Needless to say that we both had to shower again after I'd finally cleaned everything up. When I finally had him in the car, I wanted to call you, but my phone battery went dead while I dialed your number. I didn't want to go back inside, because I would have had to take him with me, and, you know... " She smiled apologetically. "I hope I didn't worry you too much."

"Maybe a little," Dave admitted, and turned his attention to Henry again. "So you like maple syrup?"

The boy nodded eagerly.

"Well, let's see what I can do for you later on."

He guided Henry and JJ into his living room.

"Make yourself comfortable. I thought we could have dinner in here." He pointed to the dinner table in the far corner of the room, which he had already set.

"Rossi, you didn't have to go through so much trouble!" JJ gasped as she saw the beautifully decorated table.

"I didn't. It's just a simple dinner."

He had briefly considered to treat her to a fancy three-course meal, but thinking about Henry, he'd assumed to be on the safe side with spaghetti and his very own creation of a tomato-cheese sauce.

"Oh, by the way, I've brought you some wine," JJ said.

She handled Dave the bottle and he nodded in appreciation. She had a great taste and he decided that the Merlot she'd bought would fit very well with their dinner. They could open his own bottle later if she was still up for it.


	4. Chapter 4

**_A/N: Many thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far! I'm glad you all enjoy reading. Once the Holidays are over I'll try to respond back personally. _**

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**Feels Like A Change Is Gonna Come**

Chapter 4

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Dinner was overall lighthearted and pleasant. Dave purposely kept to small-talk, and to make JJ as comfortable as possible, which seemed to work really well, because JJ settled into calling him by his first name instead of "Rossi". He figured there was still time to question her later and get to the bottom of her current situation.

As predicted, the spaghetti were a huge success with Henry, who had a blast trying to get the long noodles into is mouth in all kinds of different ways. And especially for the boy, Dave made a few pancakes with maple syrup for dessert.

He only furrowed his brows in confusion once, when JJ steadfastly refused to have a glass from the wine, and he made a mental note to find out the reason for that later.

After they were done eating, they settled on the couch in front of Dave's fireplace, enjoying the pleasant warmth the fire spread in the room and the relaxing sounds of the burning wood. It wasn't before long that Henry could barely keep his eyes open, and he fell asleep in the middle of a story from his favorite story-book that JJ had brought and that he had insisted Dave read to him after dinner. They brought him back into Dave's guestroom, and Dave extended his invitation by asking JJ to stay the night.

She hesitated at first, but secretly she was glad that she didn't have to drive home through the snow in the middle of the night. She wouldn't have had a chance arguing with Dave about it anyway, not after he had been so worried when she and Henry had arrived late.

"Do you mind if I turn on some music?" Dave asked when they'd sat back down on the couch.

"Not at all."

Dave grabbed the remote and the first sounds of the "Carol of the Bells" in the version sung by Celtic Woman, filled the air. JJ looked at him, astounded.

"You like Celtic Woman?"

"Is that so surprising?" Dave grinned.

"A little. I'd have bet anything to hear Christmas songs by Frank Sinatra or Dean Martin coming out of your player."

"Oh, I've got them, too. But this one's my mother's favorite. A friend of hers recommended it and she'd brought a copy of their CD for my house, too, because she loves to listen to it wherever she is," he explained. "And to be honest, I've grown to like it a lot."

After refilling his glass with more wine, and bringing her more water, he leaned back in the couch and smiled contentedly.

"You and your mother are close, huh?" JJ wanted to know.

He nodded.

"We are. I'm close to both my parents. Comes from being an only child, I guess. They're pretty much the only family I have."

"So there's no big, widespread Rossi clan?"

"No. There are some distant relatives somewhere, but no one we're really close to. My father was the only son, too, and my mother's siblings are long dead. She lost her brother in World War II and her sister died from cancer when I was still a baby. I guess I'll have to disappoint you if you're expecting a bunch of loudmouthed, noisy Italians."

JJ gave him a cheeky grin.

"Really? If I remember correctly, with you there's no need for a whole bunch of Italians to fall under that description," JJ said dryly.

"Very funny, Jareau."

Taking a sip from his wine, Dave winked at her and relished how easy they were getting along. He could get used to this, spending his evenings with her in front of the fireplace. No one made him relax as fast as she did.

"What about your family?" He asked after a short moment of silence, knowing and expecting from the few things Henry had told him this morning that it would probably not be such a pleasant topic for her to talk about. But he had to know, he had to get behind the reason for her stressed out behavior today, fully intend on being there for her and doing everything in his power to make her feel better.

Her eyes darkened immediately and she slightly turned away from him.

"There's not much to tell," she answered shortly.

Keeping his gaze on her, he waited for her to go on. When nothing came, he said gently:

"You know, I'm all in if you want to talk."

Another moment of silence filled the room, and it was clear that JJ was debating with herself if she should open up to him or not.

"What did Henry tell you this morning?" JJ asked, breaking the silence.

"He said that Will told him he didn't want to be his father anymore, and that his Grandma was now in heaven." Dave purposely left out the fact that this was why the boy wanted to see Santa Claus so badly. He wasn't sure if JJ knew about Henry's Christmas wished, and he didn't want to make her feel even worse by telling her about them.

Flinching visibly, she muttered under her breath: "Damn you, LaMontagne."

"What happened between you and Will?" Dave questioned further.

"He met someone else," JJ replied, shrugging. "He's not a bad man, Dave. His timing just sucks," she added when Dave clenched his fists as if he was about to hit something very hard.

"Right. That's why he would tell his own son he doesn't want to have him anymore," Dave snorted sarcastically.

"I didn't know about that until now. He must have told him the day before he moved back to New Orleans. He'd asked if he could take Henry for a walk to say goodbye to him. I honestly didn't think he'd be that insensitive with a three-year-old."

"Is he at least paying child support for his son?"

"Yes," JJ nodded. "Now it makes sense for me that he didn't want me to fly down with Henry so that he could see him."

Dave anger grew with every word JJ was saying, but he knew freaking out about the little maggot right now wouldn't help JJ in the slightest, so he took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down.

"It was never sunshine and roses between me and him, but during my last months at the BAU we kept growing more and more apart. Even my new job and the new work hours didn't help make it better. Looking back, I'd say we were never really close together. At least I was never in it with my full heart," JJ began to talk, her wistful stare into the fire made Dave wonder why.

"And I guess a bit part of him had never left New Orleans. It was probably just a matter of time before we would have separated anyway." She turned back to Dave and tried to smile lightly.

"Two days before Thanksgiving he told me that there was someone else. A woman he'd met in New Orleans when he'd been there back in October to visit some friends. He said that he wanted to end things before he cheated. He packed all of his things and got ready to leave when a call from my aunt came that my mother had been in a car accident and that it didn't look good. Will stayed and went to Pennsylvania with me. Mom died two days later. He was a great help with the funeral and all, but when all of it was over and we were back in DC, I knew he was just staying out of guilty conscience. It wasn't right. His heart was in New Orleans."

Dave sat quietly and listened, never once interrupting her.

"I'm so sorry, Jen," he whispered when she was finished, torn between the urge of pulling her tinto his arms and keeping the physical distance she seemed to need for now.

When the first tears escaped her eyes, he took her hand and squeezed it gently.

"I'm sorry," JJ started to apologize, wiping her cheeks and visibly tried to keep what was left of her composure. "It's just that, I miss my Mom so much and Henry misses his grandmother and his father and then there's-" She stopped in the middle of the sentence, as if she had just barely kept herself from spilling a secret. Never letting go of her hand, Dave rubbed it gently between his palms.

"You have nothing to apologize for, Jennifer," he soothed her softly. "Don't be afraid of losing it for a while. I'm right here with you. I'll be there to help you through."

His soft words were her undoing and Dave didn't hold back anymore and pulled her into his arms, holding her tight while she sobbed against his chest. His heart ached for her and all the pain she was currently going through and he wished he could do something to ease it, if only for a while.

When she'd finally calmed down again, he kept her close, not willing to let go of her, of how perfect it felt having her in his arms.

"Thank you, Dave. For letting me be here tonight. It means a lot to me, more than you can imagine," she whispered after a while.

"Anytime, sweetheart. I'll be there whenever you need me, you hear me? Whatever it is, I want to know that you can call me, day and night."

Nodding slowly, JJ leaned her head back against his chest and stared into space.

"Is there something else?" Dave wanted to know. He felt another nod against him and almost missed her barely audible confession.

"I'm pregnant."


	5. Chapter 5

**Feels Like A Change Is Gonna Come**

Chapter 5

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Dave wasn't too surprised to hear that. After she had repeatedly refused to drink from the wine, he had suspected it.

"Does Will know?" He asked.

JJ shook her head. "No. I just found out a few days ago. I was so preoccupied with being alone with Henry and coping with everything that I didn't even realize I was late. I know it would be the right thing to call and tell him, but I don't want him to feel obligated to come back."

"You're not alone," Dave said firmly, still holding her close. He would happily take LaMontagne's place as JJ's partner and as a father to her children, and he was almost shocked with himself at how easy that thought found its way into his mind. "I know that everyone on the team will do whatever they can to support you."

"I know," JJ whispered. "Garcia still calls every other day to see how I'm doing."

"Does she know about Will and your mother?"

JJ nodded. "And before you ask, I told her to keep it to herself. I know you all have your own lives, and with your job you have enough going on, it would be unfair-"

"Stop right there, Jen. That's bullshit and you know it!" Dave interrupted harshly, more than he had intended to.

"No, it isn't. You're working very well without me," JJ stated matter-of-factly.

"You will always be a part of our team. Yes, the job is still getting done without you, but you're the glue that held us together. We miss you, ever single one of us. I miss you, and I don't want another three months to go by until I see you again. I want to be there for you!"

Raising her head at his sudden outburst, JJ found his dark eyes heavy with emotion. Dave wasn't sure if he had gone too far, or if it was already the right moment to tell her about Henry's wishes, and about what he intended to do about it. But he felt that now he had already started, it was as good a time as any to get everything out.

"I don't want Henry and you to be alone anymore. Do you know why he wanted to see Santa so much?"

"Not entirely. He said he had a really important wish that he wanted to tell Santa, but he didn't tell me what it was."

"He wants a daddy and a grandma. He told me while we were waiting this morning. And apparently Santa has told him that I could help with that."

"Dave-" JJ sat up and peeled out of his embrace.

"Wait, hear me out, okay?"

JJ nodded and gestured him to go on.

"I want to give Henry what he wants. And I want to give you everything you need."

"Dave, what are you saying?"

"Spend Christmas with me and my parents. There's something I have in mind for at least one of his wishes, and I want you and him to be there when Santa delivers."

"Dave, you're speaking in riddles."

"Trust me, okay? It'll all become clear. Plus, I don't want to you be alone on Christmas."

Dave's hand found hers again, and he caressed it gently, waiting for her to make up her mind.

"Are you sure your parents won't mind?"

"Absolutely," he said firmly. "They'll be delighted to meet you and Henry."

Sighing deeply, JJ gave him the answer he was hoping for.

"I guess we're coming then."

~.~.~

The three of them spent a lazy morning at Dave's place the next day, having a long breakfast with lots of pancakes and maple syrup for Henry, before JJ went home to pack all of her Christmas presents for her son.

Having arranged with JJ that he would pick them up by 5.30 in the afternoon, Dave spent the rest of the morning and well into afternoon at the mall again, this time getting gifts for Henry and JJ, and afterwards delivering his gifts for the team. He also gave his parents a quick call and informed them that he would bring guests for Christmas dinner tonight.

His mother had sounded surprised and had immediately demanded to learn more, her curiosity exponentially heightening when her son told her that one of said guests would be a three-year-old boy, but Dave didn't reveal anything else.

At 5.15. he parked his car in front of JJ's house. For some reason, he was beginning to get nervous. He was looking forward to introducing JJ and Henry to his beloved parents, even if there was a chance that JJ might never become what he wanted he to be – his wife. But while he was sure that his parents would love her, would love them both, he had also never wanted their blessing more than now.

Knocking on JJ's door, he couldn't nor didn't want to stop the wide smile from forming on his face when she opened. He almost couldn't believe how much his life had changed over the course of only 24 hours, and how readily he had accepted it. His dreams finally stood a real chance of coming true.

"Hey, you ready?"

"Yeah, almost. I just need to get my bags together and then we can go."

She asked him inside for a moment, and called for her son, before disappearing in her bedroom to grab her things.

"Henry, are you ready? Dave is here!"

Immediately, the boy came running out of his room and towards Dave.

"Mr. Dave!" He called excitedly, and threw his arms around Dave's legs. When he had asked JJ to call him by his first name during dinner the night before, Dave had done the same with Henry, but the three-year-old obviously hadn't fully understood that yet.

"Do you think Santa will get me what I want?" Henry looked up expectantly at Dave.

"Well, it may take a little bit longer for him to get you what you want," Dave answered carefully. "Because these are some very big wishes."

He didn't want to get Henry's hopes up in case something didn't go as he had foreseen it.

"But I'm sure Santa is doing his best to give you everything you want, even if you have to wait for a little while."

For the time being, Henry seemed to be content with this answer and didn't press further, but instead wanted to know: "Where are we going tonight?"

"We're going to celebrate Christmas with my Mom and Dad," Dave replied.

"Does Santa know I'll be there?"

"Of course, buddy, Santa knows everything."

"Okay, I'm ready." JJ came back with huge bags in her hands.

Dave was wise enough to not say anything, knowing that a big part of these bags were filled with presents for Henry. Quickly taking them out of her hands, he carried them down to his car. Once they were all seated, Dave cast a last look at JJ in the passenger's seat, and was delighted to notice that she looked a lot more relaxed and happier than she had the day before.

Christmas could come.


	6. Chapter 6

**Feels Like A Change Is Gonna Come**

Chapter 6

* * *

Dave barely got out of his car after they had arrived in front of his parents' house when he saw the front door opening and his mother appearing in the door frame. Smiling lightly to himself, he waved shortly at her as he went around the car to open the door for JJ and to help her out, and then did the same for Henry.

He could have put his money on the fact that she was probably going crazy with anticipation over the woman and her child that her only son had announced to bring with him. She wouldn't be his mother if she weren't.

Henry seemed quite a bit nervous when they walked towards the house, taking Dave's hand, who had assured him that there was no need to be afraid of his mother.

"Davie! You're late!" His mother exclaimed before they even reached the door.

"Mama! It's 5.55. You told me to be there by six. We're not late!"

"Come in before your mother goes crazy, Davie," he heard his father's voice calling from inside the house, and he couldn't help but shake his head. JJ was probably going to think they were out of their minds.

Once inside, Dave made the introductions.

"Mama, Pop, this is Jennifer Jareau, and the little man down here is Henry, her son. JJ, these are my parents, Sofia and Joe Rossi."

"Mr. and Mrs. Rossi, it's such a pleasure to meet you," JJ said and reached out her arm to shake Sofia's hand. "Thank you for having us tonight."

Before she knew what was happening, though, Dave's mother had pulled her into a bone-crushing hug.

"The pleasure is all mine, Ms. Jareau. We're delighted to have you and your son with us. And please call me Sofia."

If JJ was surprised by his mother's welcome, she didn't let on, Dave noticed, smiling contentedly at the expected reaction his parents were showing.

"And you may call me JJ."

After Dave's father had done the same as his wife, and both of the elder Rossis had greeted Henry, too, Sofia ushered them into the dining room and told them to have a seat.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" JJ asked.

"No, dear, you and your son just sit down. You're our guests tonight. Davie can help me bring the food out here. It's all ready."

JJ's eyes widened when she saw the huge plates filled with all kinds of delicious things Dave and his mother came back with.

"Mama, who's going to eat all this?" Dave asked. He asked the same question every year. And every year his mother gave him the same answer.

"It's Christmas, Davie, and we have all night and a whole day tomorrow to celebrate."

Dinner was even more wonderful than Dave had imagined it before. Just as he had expected, his parents had warmly welcomed JJ and Henry into their home, doing their best to make them both as comfortable as possible. He could tell that JJ felt at home at once and he couldn't be happier about it. And Henry had won his parents' hearts from the first moment on, and after the boy had overcome his initial shyness, he was just as thrilled with them.

~.~.~

"She's the one, isn't she?" Sofia asked her son after dinner while they were cleaning up in the kitchen together. "The one that's on your mind all the time."

Dave nodded. "Yes, that's her."

"Are you going to ask her to marry you?"

"Mama, we're not even together yet."

"I'm just saying, Davie. Don't let her slip away. She's good for you, I can see that."

It was hard to argue with the determination she had in her voice.

"She is. But I don't even know if she wants me, too," he replied.

"Of course she does! That's just as obvious as you wanting her. She has the same look in her eyes as you."

"Still. I need to take it slow, okay? She's having a tough time at the moment. Her mother died a few weeks ago, just after Henry's father had left her, and I'm fairly certain the last thing on her mind right now is a new relationship. But there's something I'd like to talk to you about."

~.~.~

Meanwhile in the family room, JJ was listening closely to Joe Rossi telling her stories about little Davie's mischief under the Christmas tree, while Henry was playing with his toys they'd brought.

"One Christmas, Davie was about five or six at the time, he woke up in the middle of the night and went down to the living room to see if Santa had already come. He had, and Dave was so curious about his presents that he opened every single package and box under the tree to peak inside, and then he sealed them again. Of course, the paper wasn't as neatly wrapped anymore after that and my wife and I immediately noticed it when we woke up in the morning."

JJ couldn't hold back the laughter.

"That sounds just like Dave."

"What's so funny?" Dave asked, entering the room with his mother after they were done in the kitchen.

"Oh, your Dad's just telling me stories about the little rascal you were as a kid."

"Oh yeah? Don't believe a word he says. I was always a good boy, always nice and never naughty." Dave retorted, smirking as he sat down next to her.

"You wish," his mother snorted.

They spent the evening playing cards with Henry, talking and laughing and having a good time, until Henry fell asleep on the floor and JJ put him to bed.

Dave and his parents had insisted that JJ and Henry were taking the guest room and that Dave would sleep on the couch in the living room. It had prompted Henry to make Dave promise that should he wake up when Santa Claus came, he should remind him of his most important wishes.

After Henry was out, Dave decided it was time to tell JJ of his plan. Luckily, his mother had been over the moon by what he had asked her.

"JJ, there's something Mama and I want to talk to you about."

JJ herself had wondered all evening about their secret. Ever since they'd joined her, his Dad and Henry in the den, she'd known they were up to something.

"It has to do with Henry's Christmas wishes from Santa that I told you about yesterday," Dave started before Sofia took over.

"Davie has told me about your mother, JJ. I'm deeply sorry to hear that." She took JJ's hand as a comforting gesture.

"From what Davie has said, Henry loved his grandmother very much and misses her a lot. Now, by no means do I want to replace your mother, I could never fill those shoes, but we were wondering if you would let me visit Henry every once in a while, and help you out with him if you need me," she explained.

Caught off guard, JJ didn't know what to say at first.

"I don't know-" she began, hesitating.

"This would be the perfect solution, Jen, and Henry would get at least one of his wishes fulfilled," Dave said.

Looking from Dave to his mother and to his father, who looked just as surprised as JJ, she realized how serious they both were.

"Henry could get a grandmother and a grandfather. That's even more than he wanted," Dave added.

Seeing that JJ debated with herself if she should accept the offer or not, Sofia continued.

"I would really love to do that for you and Henry. Joe and I have always wanted grandchildren, but unfortunately our son hasn't graced us with any so far. I would be honored and I'm sure Joe would be, too, if you would let us take on that role for Henry. It would mean a lot to me."

Dave noticed JJ's resistance die away, but he still felt he needed to make her feel at ease again.

"Jen, I don't want to push you into anything, you hear me? You don't have to feel obligated. The decision is all up to you."

"I don't want Henry to forget my mother," JJ said carefully.

"Don't you worry about that," Sofia tried to soothe her. "That's not what I want. I don't want to replace her. I would do my best to keep his memories of his grandmother alive."

JJ thought for a few minutes, before she spoke again.

"Okay. I only have one condition. We ask Henry what he wants first. If he's okay with it, it's a deal."

Dave smiled warmly at her and pulled her into a short embrace. "Absolutely."

~.~.~

Shortly after everything was sorted out, Dave's parents went to bed as well, leaving Dave and JJ by themselves. After a moment of comfortable silence, JJ turned to face him.

"Why are you doing all this?" She wanted to know.

Dave knew that she deserved nothing but the whole truth, but he was also afraid to spook her away if he told her about his feelings. He took a deep breath and decided to take a calculated risk.

"Because I care about you. And about Henry. I want you both to be happy and I will do everything within my power to reach that goal."

"This is about more than just friendship, isn't it?"

"Yes," he replied truthfully. "But I don't want to push you into anything. If your friendship is all you can ever give me than I will happily accept that. You've always meant more to me than just a colleague, from the moment we've met I knew you were special, and I would never do anything to hurt you."

"It's funny, but I've always felt it," JJ admitted. "You're not the only one with deeper feelings. I successfully managed to ignore them while I was still on the team, but when I'd left and my relationship with Will had gradually gone downhill, it was getting harder and harder. Do you remember when you called me? A few weeks after my transfer?"

Dave nodded.

"I lied to you on the phone. There was no doctor's appointment with Henry. I was so happy to hear your voice, to hear from you, but at the same time I felt guilty towards Will. I knew that I wouldn't be able to say no to you if we had met. Back then, I still thought I could save my relationship. And the only chance I saw for that was to keep you out of my life," JJ explained sincerely. "I'm so sorry for that, Dave."

Hearing her words made Dave's heart beat faster than it ever had before. Now he had a real chance at getting everything he'd ever wanted.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Jennifer. You did what you thought was best for you and Henry. I just hope that one day you would give me a chance to show you that I can be the very best for the both of you."

JJ's eyes widened when the realization sank in.

"You're willing to take the place as Henry's father?"

Dave nodded again.

"What can I say? I guess Santa was right when he told Henry that I could help him with his wishes."

* * *

_**A/N: Only one more chapter – the epilogue – to go. It will be up shortly. Thanks a lot to everyone reviewing, I really appreciate hearing from all of you. I hope everyone still enjoys reading. Let me know what you think!**_


	7. Epilogue

**Feels Like A Change Is Gonna Come**

Epilogue

* * *

_One year later_

"Alright, Henry, are you ready to open your presents?"

JJ didn't have to ask. Henry was already sitting in front of the Christmas tree, barely able to keep his hands off of all the beautifully wrapped gifts, waiting impatiently for everyone to gather around the tree.

Dave had taken his seat in his favorite recliner and JJ sat down on her husbands laps, snuggling into his embrace, while Dave's parents were sitting on the couch, his mother holding four-month-old Samuel Rossi, who had been the biggest joy for all of them ever since he had joined the small family back in August.

"Can I help Sammy open his presents?" Henry asked.

Ever since he had learned that he would be a big brother, he'd been hovering over his mother, incredibly excited about having a little sibling. There were moments that he'd exhibited worse protective streaks than Dave, and that was saying something. From the moment the baby's first kicks could be felt in JJ's belly, he was practically hanging on her legs all day long, talking to his brother in JJ's rounded belly. Getting him into daycare each morning was a constant fight, and he refused to go to bed before he didn't say goodnight to the baby. When he'd joined forces with Dave, worrying about her work hours and whatnot, JJ had been on the verge of going crazy.

Thank God for Dave's mother! Sofia had been her refuge whenever her two men were becoming too much for her.

"Of course, buddy," Dave said.

Watching his boy tearing the paper from every box Joe handed him, Dave couldn't believe how lucky he was. He had finally gotten what he had wished for the most – a family of his own, with the woman he loved more than anything in the world.

He had proposed to JJ while she was in labor with Sammy, just moments before she'd been ready to push, and he was damn lucky it didn't get him killed. By JJ, whose stare alone had been almost lethal, and who for that had gripped his hand extra hard while giving birth to her second son, and by his mother, who couldn't believe how incredibly unromantic a moment her son had chosen for the all-important question. Had it been for her, Dave would have proposed months before.

In the end, JJ had accepted under tears as she held her newborn baby in her arms, wondering if things could get any more perfect.

They were married on Thanksgiving, by JJ's request, in honor of her mother, whom she still missed dearly, no matter how much of a second mother Sofia had become for her over the past year.

"Look, Mommy! Sammy's gotten a new picture book! I can tell him stories with that!" Henry squealed excitedly, and moments later his mouth formed a big 'o' when he opened a wicker basket his grandfather had handed him that had only a red ribbon wrapped around the handle.

"A puppy!" He whispered in disbelief. "Santa brought me a puppy!"

Dave and JJ exchanged questioning looks and turned to Sofia and Joe.

"Ma, Pop, didn't we talk about this?" Dave started to scold them.

"Oh, shush, son!" Sofia dismissed his concerns. "You know it was the biggest wish he had this year."

"Fine, but I swear to God, if the dog only so much as thinks about chewing on my shoes or peeing into our bed, he will be staying with you and Pop," Dave gave in, while JJ chuckled to herself.

The puppy that had so far been sleeping in the basket, peeked out now and immediately licked over Henry's hand, making the boy giggle.

"I'm gonna name you Nick!" Henry announced then.

"Why Nick?" JJ wanted to know.

"Grandpa told me that it's another name of Santa Claus, and I want to name him after Santa, because he 'filled all of my biggest wishes I ever had," Henry explained seriously.

The adults smiled at each other. Sometimes it was really amazing how much Henry was wise beyond his years.

"Speaking of biggest wishes," Dave threw in, clearing his throat. "There's something else for you, Henry." He handed him a white envelope and Henry looked at it, not sure what to do with it. Dave's parents seemed just as confused as their grandson, only JJ smiled knowingly.

"Go ahead, open."

Henry carefully pulled the envelope open and retrieved a sheet of paper.

"What's this?" He asked curiously. There were a lot of things written on it, but he couldn't read yet. "Read it to me?"

"Of course, come here, buddy."

JJ got up from Dave's lap and sat down next to her parents-in-law. Dave scooped Henry up to take his mother's place.

"Alright. Remember when Mommy and I asked you if you are okay with me being your daddy?"

Henry nodded eagerly and Dave's heart swelled with love for the boy.

Unofficially, he had been Henry's daddy for quite some time now, ever since Henry had unconsciously called him "Daddy" one day in spring, when Dave had taken him and JJ to Disneyworld in Florida for a short vacation. Dave had almost been too shocked for words as the tears formed in his eyes, and JJ, just as happy, had quickly taken out her camera and captured the moment for all time, as Dave had picked Henry up and held him close for what seemed to be an eternity.

They had both agreed before to give Henry as much time as he needed with getting used to Dave, and Dave had never asked him to call him "Daddy", instead leaving it up to Henry to call him anything he wanted.

After Samuel was born, JJ had never once hesitated to write down Dave's name on the birth certificate – nor had Dave – and had expressed her thoughts about Dave officially adopting Henry, too.

"I know for you I've been your daddy all along, but this paper here has made it official, for the whole world to see. You're officially a Rossi now."

Henry's eyes began to shine.

"Really?"

"Really." Dave shifted him on his lap so that he could lean back against his chest as his arms went around the boy, taking the paper into his hands. He pointed out everything he read to Henry.

"This is your new birth certificate. Everybody has one, and it's the most important paper in the world, because it tells everyone who you are and who your parents are, and nobody can argue with that. See here."

Henry's eyes followed Dave's finger.

"That's your name. Henry Alexander Rossi, born November 12, 2007. Then here it says 'mother: Jennifer Anne Rossi, née Jareau. That's your mom. And right next to your mom's name, right here, where it says 'father', there's my name, David Joseph Rossi. That means that from now on nobody will ever be able to change that I'm your daddy."

"So when people want to know my name, I can say it's Henry Rossi from now on?" Henry turned his head and looked up into Dave's face.

"Yep," Dave confirmed.

The boy nodded and fell silent for a moment, absorbing everything he had just heard.

JJ, Sofia, and Joe had tears in their eyes from watching the exchange.

"When did you get the papers?" Joe asked JJ softly, not wanting to interrupt the father-son moment.

"They arrived two days ago, just in time for Christmas," JJ replied. "Dave and I couldn't be happier."

"You're not the only ones, this is so wonderful for all of us," Sofia said. "Look."

Their eyes fell back to Henry and Dave. Henry turned around in Dave's lap and wrapped his arms around his father's neck. Dave responded by holding his small body tightly against himself.

"Love you, Daddy," Henry whispered, burying his face in Dave's neck.

"I love you, too, son," Dave answered hoarsely, his voice thick with emotion as his own tears of joy were streaming freely down his cheeks.

It was a long moment until Henry finally let go of Dave again, his father even more reluctant to let him out of his arms and back to his new puppy that was excitedly running around between their legs.

All four adults agreed that there had never been a more wonderful Christmas in their lives, and if you asked each of them if they believed in Santa Claus, their answer would be a convinced yes. For he had changed their life and made it better than they'd ever imagined possible.

"You know what I want from Santa next year?" Henry solemnly declared some time during Christmas Day.

"A little sister."

_~Fin~ _

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* * *

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_**A/N: Once again, thank you so much for all of your wonderful comments, they're very much appreciated! Hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas! Happy New Year!**_


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